The Football Association of Irelnad has launched a new Women & Girls’ Football Action to support the continued growth of the game in the Republic of Ireland.
Aligned with the FAI’s Football Pathways Plan, this strategy aims to create an encouraging, empowering and exciting football ecosystem for women and girls across the county.
Just 11% of teenage girls in Ireland are meeting their recommended daily physical activity levels and only 9% of women volunteer in football clubs. Since the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, however, over 45,000 women and girls are registered through the FAI Connect system, over 25,000 girls are playing football in school, and over 800 women are engaged in the Coach Education pathway. There are also more female referees than ever before.
The new Action Plan is built on three pillars:
- Participation: Keep girls playing football throughout their teenage years
- Pathways: Have a woman on the Football Committee at every Grassroots club
- Performance: Create high-performing environments specifically for female players
It has six goals which have been set for 2025-2027:
- Inspire: Provide recreational football for teenage girls in schools and clubs
- Empower: Deliver leadership courses for young leaders
- Build: Launch a Future Head of Football programme
- Support: Provide individual development plans and mentorship
- Develop: Review the women’s international pathway
- Lead: Deliver research-informed programme specifically for elite female players
FAI Head of Women and Girls’ Football Hannah Dingley said: “I’m excited to launch the Women and Girls’ Football Action Plan, which is one of the key parts of the Football Pathways Plan, and will help bring women and girls’ football in Ireland forward on and off the pitch,” said Hannah Dingley, the FAI Hed of Women and Girls’ Football. “The theme of the Plan is to Strengthen the Foundations. We have already seen a lot of progress, and there is so much excellent work being done at all levels of the game around the country, but there is more to do and we need to ensure that we have the foundations strong enough to support the long-term growth of the game.”
